Lynne & Gary’s Remembrance
Arthur Greenberg blasted into our (Gary and Lynne’s) lives in January of 1969. Introduced by ‘little sister’ - Lee, a whirl wind romance culminated within a lightening blast time frame of 4 weeks. Valentine’s Day of that year took on a whole new meaning to us all.
And then we were a family of 8. Blended, re-blended and blending. 6 under one roof, and two who had already flown the nest. A ‘mish mosh’ of characters and personalities with a proud Art Greenberg at the helm of his crew. As in all of life’s challenges and opportunities, somehow it pretty much worked.
A few memories:
Heaven help the person on the other end of the phone if you dared to call during family dinner time.
Coming home from a date and noticing one less door on its hinges, apparently not a good night for one of us kids.
Creamed tuna on toast – an Art specialty.
Poker…….. Becoming the honorary ‘mayor’ of Gardena poker clubs and loved by fellow players – of all ethnic backgrounds and nationalities.
Working at the Los Angeles Zoo: 6 kids that prepped him very well for working with the wild animal creatures.
Commitment, and creativity, to maintain his independence. When the car had to retire, it was devastating to Art. But………enter travel by scooter. Breaking previously set speed records at Leisure World, he ventured out without hesitation. From scooter driving to visiting Marta during hospital stays to his scooter antics walking Barney, he was a recognizable character in Laguna Woods.
Cool glasses, he could easily hang with the Rat Pack and had just enough ‘Bling’ to hang with Hip Hoppers.
One always knew where Arthur stood on any topic whether you wanted to know or not.
Art was very sentimental. Value of special gifts meant more to Art than large material things. From his grandfather’s nail file, to a beautiful handmade, embroidered pillow, autographed baseballs and pictures, memories held close to his heart.
How do you live until 97? You listen to your doctor’s instructions BUT, modify with sodium!
TV watching: loud enough to be heard throughout the building so as to be ‘shared’ with most of the neighborhood.
‘Dad’ was a complex, sometimes difficult man – with a heart of gold. We may not have always agreed with him, but never would be stupid enough to discount his opinions.
On this day of remembrance and reflection, all of us can be assured of the following, undebatable facts –
- He is today in a better place than he has been for the last few years;
- He will live on in our memories and our hearts forever;
- Arthur Greenberg did have a major affect on all of our lives;
At the end may he rest in peace and may his memory be for a blessing.
At the end may he rest in peace and may his memory be for a blessing.
January18, 2011
ReplyDeleteNot so difficult a task to relate volumes and volumes, hours and hours, to the man who was Father, Husband, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Uncle, friend, boss, soldier, carpenter, chef, musician, coach, L.A. Zoo Docent, Teachers Assistant Laguna Woods, motivational/Inspirational speaker, poet, linguist, rifleman/shotgunner, and dog lover, and if it's possible that anyone present is not already very much aware, his penchant for the game of poker, and of course automobiles!!! What I find difficult, is to distill his life's long adventure in such a fashion that would possess those elements he appreciated - depth, the facts, some insight, a little humor of course, and for this occasion, circumspection. He hated funerals....
Life was not easy for my Dad. He was a skinny kid, not the tallest guy on the block, but never one to hold back his opinions, or hide his Jewish roots and heritage. He lived and reflected a toughness that helped him get through a great many dangerous, heart breaking, difficult, and confronting times. Can we say Art was not afraid to make his feelings known? As easily as we can say "UNDERSTATEMENT".
To me, the following really captures the heart of the man, who he was at his core, and what he stood for:
My Dad put it all on the line for his country by enlisting in World War II, he was way past the "draft" age (in his 30's) to join the Army, but he stood on true principle and patriotism, things that are today somewhat lost in a fragmented, seemingly upside down world, the "Me first" mentality and the blind pursuit of lives measured by material things rather than a life with meaning and purpose. Somehow my Dad knew that you had to "earn it" to enjoy it, whatever it was, and that you were entitled to it if you had done so. He taught me that lesson. I am the better for it.
For him, life held many bitter disappointments, unhappy times, losses and tragedies, maybe more than most. He kept on going though, and had a toughness that was so consistent we all took it for granted that he was irrepressibly going to go on forever, or so it seemed. Sometimes he couldn't see or feel the joy in life, and it made it hard for him, and the people close to him. He just did not know how to live another way.
Time changed my Dad. For some time toward the end of his life, he softened up. Somehow he began to really hear my brother Dan and I, that there was a world filled with joy, wonderful people without malice, not out to do him or his harm. He became more accepting, a little less demanding, and much to his credit, able to forgive and judge less. Perhaps most importantly, he could say he was sorry. He was able to receive love in a new way, without conditions or expectations - for the most part those expectations and judgments went away. For him, those new ways of looking at life gave him the peace he needed, even if the questions of life remained. He was able to see past his own pain and frailty, realize his life was complete, that he did not have to fight so hard through so much pain, just to have one more day above ground. He was able to move on, peacefully, painlessly, and gently. And let's not forget, right up until he breathed his last, he did it his way!!!
That's just a little of my Dad, and while I haven't really made a long story short, I think he would approve that I was able to "tell it like it is". Now it's your turn to take some time and remember your times with him, the good and the bad, and be be grateful he was in your life, in all our lives. God really doesn't build them like him anymore, and he will be missed by us all, all of us a little less without him. Now let's get out of here, get something to eat and then we can play some poker!!!
With love and respect,
David Steven Greenberg